Photo courtesy of Canva
Connected Nation (CN) and Wichita State University (WSU), alongside state and local leaders, broke ground on Kansas’s first carrier-neutral Internet Exchange Point (IXP), a key step toward improving digital infrastructure and expanding high-speed internet access. The facility, located across from WSU’s Eck Stadium, is being developed by Connected Nation Internet Exchange Points, LLC (CNIXP)—a partnership between CN and network interconnection expert Hunter Newby.
The project is backed by a $5 million grant from Governor Laura Kelly, part of a broader $28.5 million internet infrastructure initiative. The IXP will serve as a central hub where networks can directly exchange internet traffic, resulting in faster, lower-cost, and more reliable connectivity for Kansas businesses, schools, and residents.
WSU enabled the project by providing a 40-year ground lease, approved by the Kansas Board of Regents in December 2023, which will serve as a match to the state funding. The facility will include redundant power systems, withstand severe weather, and expand as demand grows.
The IX platform will be managed with DE-CIX, linking Wichita to the largest neutral interconnection network in North America. Operations are set to begin in early 2026.
